Lantana plant named ‘Robmornpin’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Lantana plant named ‘Robmornpin’, characterized by its outwardly spreading plant habit; rapid growth rate; dark green foliage; freely flowering habit; and yellow, dark pink and red-colored flowers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantanaplant, botanically known as Lantana camara, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name ‘Robmornpin’.

The new Lantana is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Grain Valley, Mo. The objective of the breeding programis to create freely-flowering Lantanas that do not produce seed. The newLantana originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1995 of theLantana cultivar ‘Patriot Hot Country’, not patented, as the female, orseed parent, with an unidentified proprietary Lantana selection as themale, or pollen parent. The new Lantana was selected as a single plantfrom the resulting progeny by the Inventor in a controlled environmentin Grain Valley, Mo., on the basis of its yellow, dark pink andred-colored flowers.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken inLompoc, Calif. since September, 1999, has shown that the unique featuresof this new Lantana are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘Robmornpin’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and culture such as temperature, lightintensity, daylength, water status, and/or fertilizer rate or typewithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Robmornpin’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Robmornpin’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Rapid growth rate.

3. Dark green foliage.

4. Freely flowering habit.

5. Yellow, dark pink and red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Lantana differ from plants of the parents and otherknown cultivars of Lantana primarily in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Lantana.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical plant of ‘Robmornpin’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical inflorescences and leaves of ‘Robmornpin’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants grown for 16-weeks in15-cm containers and pinched once were used for the photographs andfollowing description. Plants were grown in a polycarbonate-coveredgreenhouse in Lompoc, Calif. during the spring with day temperaturesranging from 18 to 24° C., night temperatures ranging from 16 to 18° C.,and light levels ranging from 4,000 to 8,000 foot-candles.

Botanical classification: Lantana camara cultivar ‘Robmornpin’.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Lantana camara cultivar ‘Patriot Hot Country’, notpatented.

Male parent.—Unidentified proprietary Lantana camara selection, notpatented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 7 to 10 days at 27° C.

Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 10 to 14 days at 23° C.

Time to develop roots, summer.—About 28 to 35 days at 27° C.

Time to develop roots, winter.—About 35 to 42 days at 23° C.

Root description.—Fibrous.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

Form.—Flowering subshrub; initially upright, then outwardly spreading.Freely branching; two lateral branches potentially forming at everynode; pinching enhances lateral branch development.

Plant height.—About 32 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 65 cm.

Vigor.—Vigorous, rapid growth rate.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 35.5 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internodelength: About 7 cm. Aspect: Initially upright, then bending about 90°from upright. Strength: Flexible, but strong. Texture: Rough, coarse.Color: Young: 144A. Woody: 165B.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical andlong-persisting; opposite. Length, largest leaves: About 10 cm. Width,largest leaves: About 7.8 cm. Shape: Ovate to oval. Apex: Acute. Base:Acute to obtuse. Margin: Crenate to serrate. Texture, both surfaces:Leathery, rough, coarse; slightly rugose. Lower surface, pubescent.Venation pattern: Pinnate, laterals arcuate. Fragrance: Pungent,mint-like; pleasant. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 146A. Youngfoliage, lower surface: 146B. Mature foliage, upper surface: 147A;venation, 146B. Mature foliage, lower surface: 147B; venation, 147C.Petiole length: About 2 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2.5 mm. Petiolecolor: 146B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Small salverform flowers arranged in axillaryumbels; flowers face mostly upward or outward. Flowers self-cleaning.Very freely flowering with potentially two inflorescences per node;typically about 30 to 32 flowers per umbel.

Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn; floweringcontinuous and consistent.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About 5 to 7 days.

Fragrance.—Faint, spicy, pleasant.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.2 cm.

Inflorescence height.—About 2.5 cm.

Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused, four-parted; flowersroughly rectangular in shape. Diameter: About 1.2 cm by 1 cm. Corollatube length: About 1.7 cm.

Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: Apex: About2.5 mm. Base: About 1 mm. Shape: Elongate, oblong. Color: 37B to 37C.

Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of four petals, fused intoflared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 6 mm. Petal width: Upperand lower petals, about 7 mm; lateral petals, about 5 mm. Petal shape:Irregularly ovoid to almost orbicular. Petal apex: Rounded with slightemargination. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture: Smooth, velvety.Color: Petal, upper surface, when opening: 10B; throat, 14A. Petal,lower surface, when opening: 10D; tube, 50B. Petal, upper surface, fullyopened: 63A; with subsequent development, shifting to 67B, then to 45C;throat, 28B. Petal, lower surface and tube, fully opened: 63C; tube,50B.

Calyx.—Arrangement/appearance: One single calyx tube per flower. Calyxlength: About 2 mm. Calyx width: About 1 mm. Apex: Broadly acute.Texture: Pubescent. Color, both surfaces: 144D.

Peduncles.—Length: About 8.25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: About 45°from the stem. Strength: Flexible, but strong. Color: 144A.

Pedicels.—Length: Less than 0.5 mm. Diameter: Less than 0.25 mm. Color:Close to 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per flower,adnate to floral tube. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther length: Less than 1mm. Anther color: 22B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 22B.Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigmashape: Bilobed. Stigma color: 148C. Style color: About 3.5 mm. Stylecolor: 148D. Ovary color: 144C.

Seed.—Seed production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lantana have not been notedto be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Lantana.

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed to betolerant to rain and wind.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant named‘Robmornpin’, as illustrated and described.